Some stores close, but New Yorkers continue to shop

NEW YORK (AP) — Many stores in New York were closed today as Hurricane Irene neared, with some posting comical signs like “Blame the weatherman. Not us” and “Evidently ‘The Show Must Go On!’ means nothing to Irene.” But New York’s shopping districts still were bustling as people piled into any store that was open.

“It’s business as usual,” said a store official at Harry Winston, the exclusive jewelry retailer, shortly after the store opened.

The hurricane, which could hit New York on Sunday morning, comes during the critical back-to-school shopping season, a time between mid-July and September that is typically the second biggest shopping period of the year.

For some big retailers, Manhattan is particularly important because it can account for as much as 10 percent of their annual revenue. A washout this weekend could have a huge impact on retailers’ top and bottom lines: Nationally, weather research firm Planalytics estimates that Irene will stop 80 million shoppers from hitting the malls this weekend.

“This is a worst-case scenario,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group. “This was supposed to be a prime weekend for apparel retailers.”

On Fifth Avenue, major department stores like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and J.C. Penney conceded defeat and closed their doors. Some boarded up their windows, while others like furniture store Ethan Allen used masking tape to keep them from shattering.

Times Square was brightly lit and bustled with tourists as if it were a usual Saturday, though many of the stores were closed. The ones that were open, including the Gap and Toys “R” Us, were packed.